The Horizon Reaction
by luckyrogue7
Summary: How Commander Desmond Shepard really reacted to Ashley Williams on Horizon. Rated T just to be sure. mild language and suggestive themes


Author's notes: This is my first publish story on . I don't really know how good this story really is. It was a single run through free write with really no preparation or outline and no real grammar checks. Yes I know shame on me, but please bear with me for the time. I will put out better material with the coming stories.

Now for some context, the Commander Shepard that we have in the story below would be an Earthborn Sole-Survivor, full Paragon bar, but also with a half full renegade bar. Just like how I usually play my profiles in the game.

Reviews are welcome and requested. I'd love to see what fellow Mass Effect fans think of my work.

P.S. this story is told from Garrus Vakarian's POV.

/

_**Garrus**_

"DON'T YOU DARE STARE BLAMING THIS CRAP ON ME ASHLEY!"

Yelling at the top of his voice, Commander Shepard had a look in his eyes that could melt iron. But in reality his eyes were really glowing a deep but bright orange. A side effect of the treatment he had been given during Lazarus Project. Although this did nothing to diminish the anger felt by everyone in the vicinity. Even the local mechanic had winced as he walked away from the group of soldiers standing in a circle around the defense turret controls.

Garrus Vakarian stood in complete shock. It was no shock to see Shepard raising his voice, he had done that many times before, but it was to he was raising his voice to. Alliance Operations Chief Ashley Williams. The same Ashley Williams who had fought along side Shepard in the fight against the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius. Not only that but the same Ashley Williams who he had saved on Virmire. Sacrificing Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, in order to save her and the Salarian Special Task Group members fighting at the AA Towers.

"Don't even think for a second that any of this was my plan."

Shepard had just about lost it. Huffing and puffing like a mad man. Garrus knew that the humans had a saying for this but now was not the time to ask Shepard or even the stunned female Cerberus officer standing beside him. But then another outburst brought his attention back to the two arguing humans.

"NO! You don't know what it was like Shepard!" Ashley was raising her own voice now, almost making Shepard lose some of his footing. "You don't know what it was like thinking that you were dead."

In the back of Garrus's head he could sympathize with what Ashley was saying, but at the same time she was being completely unreasonable. But something had snapped the Commander and Garrus knew that Ashley was going to come out of the argument the loser. Shepard had a different look about him. No longer just complete anger, but something else had taken over. Garrus had seen that look before. The same look as criminal with absolutely nothing to lose.

"Soldiers DIE, Williams. That is a simple and unchanging fact. We all die. You should have been more prepared for that. This is exactly why I was wary of letting you be reassigned to the Normandy. Your too damn idealistic!"

Ashley's mouth dropped. Garrus had assumed that she had never known, just like himself, of Shepard's feelings on her reassignment after the Battle of Eden Prime.

"Now Williams. You stand there and berate me on being with Cerberus; but it obviously didn't occur to you that I didn't really have a choice in the matter. I was dead! And then Cerberus brought me back. I don't see how I could have any influence on what happened do you?"

"But why are you still with them Shepard!"

_Stupid question Ashley_, Garrus thought, _stupid question. _And it looked like Shepard thought so too, because he through out his arms wide.

"Look around genius. Human colonies are being abducted and the Collectors are behind it. And what's more they are working with the Reapers!"

"How do you know that they are working with the Reapers? Maybe Cerberus is…."

But she never had time to finish her statement, because Miranda had found her voice again.

"Typical Alliance soldier, too stupid to see the truth. You're too focused on Cerberus to see the truth."

Shepard was nodding in agreement, but Ashley was ready with a comeback.

"And what about what Cerberus had done in the past Shepard. Remember how the got your entire team killed on Akuze? What about Corporal Toombs? Have you forgotten about that?"

"Enough of this crap Williams." Shepard's eyes glared once again. "It is apparent that just like back then that you are too naive to see the truth. Do you really think that I have forgotten about what happen on Akuze? Of course not!"

"Then why…" Ashley started to say, but Shepard cut her off.

"Because it is obvious that I'm the only one who can. Do you really think that even Cerberus would be stupid enough bring back a man who they know wants them all dead when there could be some one else that could do the job. The answer is no."

"But…"

Garrus could tell the change in Ashley's voice. She had gone from anger to almost pleading with Shepard to understand her.

"Enough Alliance Operations Chief Williams. You have two choices right now. To get out of my way or else I will use my authority as a Spectre to remove you from my way."

There was complete shock etched all over Ashley's face as she hung her head, but still made no sign of moving.

"Alright Williams. I'll give you a choice. Tech? Biotics? Or Pistol?" Activating each option as he said them. Flaring his boitics with a show of brilliant power.

"No Shepard. I give up." Ashley raised her head, tears had started to form in her eyes. "It seems like you are not the same person I grew to admire and…"

But Shepard raised his hand in protest as he begun walking away from her. "I'll stop you right there, Williams; because you never really knew me."

Garrus was shocked to hear what the Commander was saying. Even though he too thought that Ashley was being rather thick headed, he didn't think that she warranted this type of treatment.

But Garrus kept walking behind Shepard to the extraction zone, Miranda right beside him. He gave one more look back at Ashley and he could see that this argument was going to be yet another ordeal for the young human female.

And as garrus turned back around to follow Miranda and Shepard to the shuttle that had landed just a short distance away he saw Shepard already sitting in the shuttle glaring at Garrus as if to tell him to hurry the hell up. And Garrus sure did. But once he had taken a seat next to the commander and the shuttle had lifted off heading back to the Normandy Garrus turned to Shepard, and finally decide to speak.

"Was all of that really necessary Desmond?"

Shepard started at the sound of his own name being used. Turning to stare up into the deep clear blue eyes of his turian friend and shook his head.

"No… not really. But I just couldn't take any more of her idealistic stupidity. Alliance this. Alliance that. It's too much."

And as Garrus stared back at Shepard he saw that the human looked mush older than he had before the argument. And with that he decided to bring Shepard back to his old self with the typical jab.

"So I'm guessing that's why you chose Liara over her," cracking a smile and flaring his mandibles just slightly and perfectly receiving the reaction that he wanted from Shepard, a look of shock written all over his face. But a second later shepard himself cracked a smile. And replied

"Well that and the fact that she had to resort to old poems instead of using her own words. I never really liked historical literature that much either."

And then almost with an after thought.

"And the fact that the Asari are a hell of a lot more exciting; especially in bed.

And with that final quip, Garrus and Commander Desmond Shepard broke out in to boisterous laughter.

_Shepard will be ok_, thought Garrus.

… _Well as long as Liara is a lot more reasonable_. Garrus sighed. This was going to be a really interesting mission.


End file.
